The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-23
1T is A POLITICAL CONTEST.


not waged from the high grounds O
patriotism and morality. They may
succeed in hoodwinking the good peop.t
of the nation into the belief that they
oppose polygamy because of its i'm
morality, and oppose an alleged unior
of Church and State because, as gooC
patriots, they are in duty bound to up
hold Republican principles.
But, as matter of fact, these are the
crafty devices of politicians to secure
the aid of the country in their otherwise
hopeless contest with Mormon major
ity. AS rule, what do they care to1
polygamy? They have dwelt for years
in the same neighborhood with polyg-
amists, whose influence and example
haVe,not in the least contaminated them
or their families. II, indeed, they have
been aware of the fact, it was only to
notice it as a matter of curiosity. They
have carefully scanned the laws of the
Territory and are unable to point out a
single statute which draws distinctions
between sects favorable to the Mormons.
But in Mormon pelygamy and unity
they have seen the means of working
upon public sentiment and the
prejudices of Congress, which has
usurped legislative powers over the
Territories, to the end that the political
fsvors ofa'great and growing common
wealth may be taken from other hands
and deposited in theirs.
They have accordingly gone sys-
tematicslly to work to malign Nor
monism. They have deliberately lied
about it in every direction that it was
possible. And they have kept on ham
mering away at these falsehoods
until they have driven them
firmly into public opinion. A
system of polygamy having the family
with the mutual obligations of husband
and wife and parent and child as
basis, and under which chastity has.been
more highly priced and guarded than
in homogeneous communities of the
day, has been pictured by these
political conspirators as system
of Asiatic sensuality. An offensive
and defensive alliance between
Mormons, consequent upon the
unityE their interests, and imperatiYely
demanded by the radical and malicious
attacks of their critics, has been, with
out further evidence than the mere
fact of unity, tortured into an establish
ment of of religion in contravention of
the Constitution.
We believe that any impartial man of |
intelligence would say that fer the sup
preston of polygamy-and we give the
world credit for an honest, though mis-
taken desire to uproot that practice
the enactment and rigid enforcement
of laws bearing directly upon the Of
tense, would be sufficient. We believe
that the law of 1852, either alone or
supplemented by law making polyga-
nous cohabitation unlawful, would
have been sufficient by this time, if en-
ergetically enforced, to have wiped out
polygamy, if, indeed, that principle is
doomed to perish.
But to the Liberals, stringent laws
stringently enforced have not been
enough. And this is wherein they
demonstrate the iniquity of their de-
signs, and uncover the enormi-
T. of their plot. To send
q polygamist to the penitentiary
for five wears and fine him 81 900, for
his unlawful marriage, or to incarcerate
him for six months and fine him $500,
for living with his wife, have not been
satisfactory to these political gluttons.
"Take away their votes, and [asidel
we'll get the Offices" has been their
chorus. Now, any one can see that
this would be first class way of curing
the Mormons of the power to vote, if
that were the object, but just what
effect it is going to have on the exterpa-
ton of polygsmy is little hazy to any
one but Liberal, to whom, no doubt,
1t is perfectly clear. The Liberals, in
insisting upon this point, would be
acknowledged to be sincere, were it not,
and here is the significant fact, that 10
deprive the Mormons of the suffrage is
to leave the situation and the spoils and
pleasures of Office entirely in their '
hands. Our love for them is SO great {
that we hesitate to express the opinion |
that their high grade morality and I
patrio tism are open to the suspicion of 6
being Black Berkshire. '
To place the selection of all jurors, c
grand and petit, civil and criminal, in t
the hand of Gentiles; to disfranchise. on g
q test oath, all polygamists; to abolish /
woman suffrage; to enforce test t
oath, which has prevented many Nor Q
mons from vsting, and which, it was I
hoped. would prevent all-is what has il
bee@ dope To make all members of b
the Mormon Church. ipse .factO, nom d